Infrequently Asked Questions
We’re here today, to find out a little more about Lynette Aspey: writer, mother-of-one, sailor.
“Lyn, I understand you’re a bit reluctant to talk about yourself?”
“Um…hmmm”
“Okay. Here’s a start. You write science fiction and fantasy (I know this because I googled you.) Can you tell us something else about yourself… ?”
“Well, I’m a fairly competent sailor. I’ve lived a good chunk of my life on the sea and there’s little I enjoy more than perfect days afloat under the Caribbean sun.”
“Nice. You live on a boat in the Caribbean. How cool is that? Piña coladas on the beach, eh?”
“Ah. No. I prefer beer. Besides, it’s my life, not a holiday. Most of the time, we live quietly at anchor, not too far from shore because we need ice, and a connection …. cruisers in search of wifi, as we often say.”
“What do you do all day?”
“Living onboard a yacht dictates a lot of who and what I am, and do. Instead of a family car, we have a dinghy (that’s in desperate need of replacement). Without refrigeration, I have to think carefully about food preservation. Instead of trimming the hedges, I don mask and flippers and scrape barnacles. We collect our own water, store our own sunshine, and maintain the boat the best that we can afford: there’s a whole host of ‘about me’ stories in there that would bore you senseless … unless you like chatting about rust prevention and painting?”
“No thanks! We’ll skip to something else. Is that gorgeous little girl your daughter?”
“Now there’s something I can talk about. My beautiful girl has grown up onboard boats, she’s an amazing swimmer and hugely mischievous. I’ve been gifted with a wonderful husband and a fantastic child. How lucky am I?”
“Do you think your family and sailing influence your writing? Will I be reading a lot about the sea in a Lynette Aspey story?”
“Of course family and friends influence me as a person and a writer – hugely – but no, you won’t find a great deal about sailing in my stories, apart from the short story ‘Painted Ocean’ (coming soon to Smashwords and Amazon). On the other hand, great expanses of water – great expanses of anything really – hold a fascination for me. Whether it’s an Earthly ocean, an alien sea, or deep space: my imagination is captured by the journey and its trials, as opposed to the destination. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always found endings to be the most problematic to write.”
“Do you write onboard the boat?”
“Of course. I have a locker full of scribbled-upon, water-damaged paper, sketches and story arcs that extend back for years. There’s also a locker full of old laptops that have died a noble death. The marine environment is very tough on electronics. The truth is, I fit my writing in between snatches of ‘real’ life. My daughter is homeschooled, we have an old boat and not much money – but we’re free in a way that so many people never understand, or would choose to experience. It’s hard work, and sometimes scary, but fundamentally, I get to choose what and how I’ll spend my time. And when we discover we don’t like the neighbours, which honestly doesn’t happen often, we pick up our hook and head off.”
“You’re an Australian, living in the Caribbean. Have you sailed around the world?”
“Not yet. But we’ll get there one day. I have a dream of sailing into Sydney Harbour and putting my rusty old hook down in front of a multi-million dollar Rose Bay mansion, knowing that I have a perfect right to share the view.”
“I guess that tells me something of your politics, then?”
“Don’t get me started!”
“You write stories for children, too. Were your “David Mishram” tales something you made-up for your daughter?”
“Absolutely. There’s no better inspiration then your own child. The truth is, by the time she was a 18 months old, I was bored with baby tales and started to read things that were far too mature for her. She didn’t care, as long as I was there, reading to her. As she grew old enough to develop a critical sense, she insisted upon stories she could participate in. (Her first word, by the way – apart from ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa’ – was ‘pretend’, or ‘tend’ as she said at the time.) Once I had recovered from the sleep deprivations of early child-rearing, I soon became immersed in the wonder and joy of a developing human mind. My daughter has been my teacher. I’m eternally grateful to her for the gift of change that she brought about in me, just by being so damned demanding.”
“Now you’ve found your way into Indi-publishing?”
“There isn’t any choice for me. If I go the ‘traditional’ route, I will probably never make it into print apart from my magazine sales. There are logistical hurdles – the fact that we live outside the norm in terms of a stable address, for example. I cannot easily attend conventions, or go to signings. I can’t reliably stay in touch. However, if I have a wifi connection, then I can upload my stories. I write, and upload, and let them find their own place in the social network. I love books, but more, I love storytelling and technology is the vehicle I’ve been waiting for. I hope very much that you enjoy them. Let me know if you do.”
“Thanks Lyn.”
“Hey, my pleasure. Anything else, just ask.”
Well … that was easier than I thought. Now it’s time for me to grab a beer and check the weather reports.
Wherever you are in the world, good reading and thanks for visiting.
Lynette Aspey
